Does Gamification Warrant The Hype?

Gamification has been the buzz word of elearning for the past few years, but during many conversations with elearning professionals I have found that not everyone is convinced about its impact.

The question lingers: is gamification still just hype?

Since 2012 there has been a steady rise in its use. Back in 2012 the gamification niche of elearning was at $242 million. Today it is projected to be $1.7 billion. By 2018 it is projected that this number will reach close to $5.5 billion.

Based on the numbers gamification doesn’t seem to be slowing down, and this is with good reason.

The market growth continues because effective use of gamification has shown it to be rather effective. Specifically, one study found that when it was used to train adult learners, they scored:

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3 Responses

Great article, Justin. I like seeing the evidence from actual studies of adding gamification into courses. In my experience creating and delivering online courses, my students, who are predominantly adults have responded very well to the gamification elements that I have incorporated. It seems everyone likes a little pat on the back for their accomplishments. I think it also adds a bit of levity to the topic. When I teach the basics of building websites to people who are not technical, the gamification elements of points and achievements seem to make it less overwhelming.

Agree Kim. I think it’s additionally important in virtual training environments since there isn’t any immediate feedback. People get bored, and a “pat on the back” (as you put it) is motivating no matter how small.

Although some studies show effectiveness of gamification in the short term, there are many that report neutral effects in the long term. In some instances, the effect of gamification decreased over time as users get use to it. In order to maintain the effect of gamification, reward value had to be increased over time.

Some studies also indicate that only a portion of users are motivated by gamification. For others it has no effect and it might even have negative effects for some who find it disturbing.

There were also some instances where gratification for one behavior had a negative effect on another. (e.g. points or badge for speed negatively impacted carefulness)

There is a requirement to assess the effects of gamification on the long term rather than the short term (i.e. job performance vs test results). Therefore we must be careful why and where we apply gamification.